A Young Catholic’s Guide to the Rosary assists youth in building an independent habit of prayer by meditating on the mysteries of the Rosary in a profound and personal way.
[Exton, PA – April 19, 2026] As the emphasis on early and ongoing Catholic education continues to grow, Ascension has released A Young Catholic’s Guide to the Rosary to assist young readers in focusing and building a habit of prayer as they learn to meditate on and understand the Rosary in a deeper way.
In her debut book with Ascension, children’s author and catechist Madeleine Carroll expertly guides readers through the Rosary as she demonstrates to pre-teen children how to practically pray through the mysteries using story-like meditations, Scripture, illustrations, maps, and photographs that help readers deepen their experience. This deeper prayer experience is carried out through the stunning imagery illustrated by Candace Camling, whose work can be found in My First Interactive Mass Book, My First Interactive Rosary Book, and Learn to Pray My First Hail Mary.
“I hope readers are transformed by the depth and beauty of one of our best-loved prayers,” says Carroll. “May this book inspire and assist young Catholics to come closer to Jesus through Mary in imaginative prayer, whether by contemplating the Scriptures that accompany each Hail Mary, or by prayerfully reading the story-like meditations of each mystery.”
As readers pray each mystery, they will find four sections to aid their reflection:
- Imagine the story: story-like reflections that help readers meditate on what happened during the mystery. This section is accompanied by imaginative pictures, photos from the Holy Land, and maps.
- Pray with God’s Word: a list of Bible verses that correspond with each bead of the Rosary, rooting readers in Scripture as they pray.
- Know what it means: an explanation of why we meditate on each mystery and a reflection based on the words of a saint to deepen its meaning
- Live it out: a prompt to pray for a specific grace in each mystery, encouraging readers into a closer relationship with Jesus and his mother as they incorporate that virtue into their daily life
A Young Catholic’s Guide to the Rosary is the perfect companion to other Ascension resources on the Rosary such as My First Interactive Rosary Book, Learn to Pray My First Hail Mary, Pocket Guide to the Rosary, The Way of the Rosary, and the chart-topping podcast, The Rosary in a Year (with Fr. Mark-Mary Ames, CFR).
A Young Catholic’s Guide to the Rosary is available at www.AscensionPress.com.
Praise for A Young Catholic’s Guide to the Rosary
“Many Catholics feel secretly guilty about the fact that they struggle with the Rosary. In this practical and contemplative book, Madeleine Carroll helps young people engage with the Rosary from an early age. With the help of reflections, illustrations, and an abundance of Scriptural material, Madeleine beautifully shows how this powerful Marian prayer is rooted not in mindless repetition but in loving meditation on the mysteries of Christ's life.”
–Clement Harrold
Columnist for The Catholic Herald
“This is an excellent book to inspire young Catholics to understand and meditate on the Rosary. The book deals fully with why we pray the Rosary as well as how to pray and how to make time to pray. A great guide to develop a love of the Rosary while avoiding pitfalls like distraction.”
–Clare McCullough
Founder of the Good Counsel Network
“In a time when many are searching for ways to help children enter more deeply into the life of prayer, this book offers something both beautiful and substantial. It introduces the Rosary with warmth, imagination and reverence, helping young readers not simply to say the prayers, but to ponder the mysteries of Christ with greater love and understanding. Drawing on Scripture, the wisdom of the saints, and a rich sense of the Holy Land and the Gospel story, this book opens up the Rosary in a way that is accessible, engaging and spiritually nourishing. It will be a valuable resource for families, catechists and schools, and a gentle companion for children as they grow in friendship with Jesus and Our Lady. I warmly recommend it.”
–Rt. Rev. Bosco MacDonald
Bishop of Clifton
About the Author and Illustrator
Madeleine Carroll is a children’s author and homeschooling mother of eight children living in Surrey in the UK. Having trained and worked as a Montessori teacher and catechist for three-to-six-year-olds with The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, she strongly believes in the power of beauty in art and language to form and inspire, and so she writes stories to encourage children to draw closer to their Good Shepherd. A number of her books have been recommended as primary resources for the religious education curriculum in various dioceses in the United Kingdom, and her titles have been enjoyed in parishes, schools, and homes across the United Kingdom, Ireland, and America.
Candace Camling is an author/illustrator living in Des Moines, Iowa. After joyfully converting to the Catholic Faith in 2017, a deep curiosity about saints, the Rosary, and more led her to start drawing and writing about the discoveries she made. Her favorite things to read are about Catholic miracles and the lives of the saints. Candace holds a BFA in illustration from Kendall College of Art and Design and has won many awards for her artwork and writing. Candace illustrated the award-winning My First Interactive Mass Book, and wrote and illustrated both Pray and Think Imaginative Rosary Book and My First Interactive Rosary Book.
About Ascension
Ascension is a multimedia network and the leader in Catholic faith formation and digital content. For over 25 years, Ascension has helped nurture the faith of over 20 million Catholics through award-winning books, the chart-topping Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) podcast, more than 50 unique faith formation programs, and the Ascension Presents YouTube channel and Ascension app.
Media Contact
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